Hi guys -Cheesy ringneck

[Birdyfriend]

I've just rescued a ringneck. I've had plenty of birds over the last 50 years but not a ringneck.
He's 16 and was trapped in a budgie cage when his owner passed. The relative that took him had no idea about birds and kept him grieving in a budgie cage for a year before giving up on him.
He has no feathers on the top of his little chicken wings or back and very sparse on abdomen.
They did take him to vets. He had ivermectin in case it was mites. It isn't.
He smells like cheesy feet, (or a dog with malassezia skin fungus).
I have not witnessed him do any feather pulling or feather eating. He is emotionally damaged though. He's been with me all day and settled well. He's a darling.
The avian specialist vet is booked for 2 weeks.
Can anybody recommend an antifungal shampoo like nizoral (2%ketoconazole) that they have used successfully?

 

[saxguy64]

Welcome to the Forums, and thank you for taking in that poor sad baby. You're a hero!
Plucking is such a complex issue. Yes, it can be from skin issues, health issues, diet, etc, but also from mental/emotional/behavioral issues. Do you have any info about when it started? What was happening in his life at the time? Did it start when his owner passed? What's his diet like? Sleep schedule?

Unless there's a known fungal or parasite problem, washing birds with soap products is generally not recommended. If he has dry itchy skin, it'll make it worse. If you can figure out his preferred method of bathing, (spray bottle, shower, a pan of water, some like to climb in the sink under a gentle stream of water... Just don't force it on him. You'll be amazed at how much better they'll look (and smell) after a bath or several. I'd work on that and wait until you see the vet before any kind of shampoo, chemical stuff or meds. Rule out medical issues first, and if there's nothing like that happening, look at the behavioral side.

Here's a link that might help with some information about pluckers if you haven't experienced one before, or even if you have.

Plucking: A Search For Answers

If you've spent very much time with parrots you've probably heard the term or seen the results of plucking. Plucking is disturbing and complex, in many cases the reasons are difficult to pinpoint. There are no easy answers or explanations. It's a terrifying event to discover a pile of feathers...

www.parrotforums.com

I first learned about it when I adopted my first ekkie. I had never even heard about it before I met him. I did lots of research, and learned quite a bit. Also, my grey came to me at about 50 years old, and has plucked most of his life. Previous owner's kids never knew he had a red tail because they never saw it. He still plucks, but not nearly as bad. He does have his pretty tail now (old habits are very hard to break)

Hope this is helpful

 

[Birdyfriend]

Hi,
Yes, I've had pluckers. All the birds I've had are rescues. He's definitely been grieving but there is no evidence of actual feather pulling or eating since coming here.

It's the smell of this one that is odd. Cheesy feet, like athletes foot (yeast infection). Never had a bird stink like this. I've been misting him with warm water. I don't think he's ever had a bath. He's very shy and hides away a lot, but I'm going to try to get him to actually bathed.
I've already spoken by email to the vet and he thinks it sounds fungal, but is booked up unless critical emergency until end of the month.

I'll do microscopy and stain for yeast and mites when he's a little more secure with me butI 'm going to wait until we see the vet and just try to get the bird to bathe too

 

[saxguy64]

I've seen more than my share of parrots that have been stuck in a small cage with no place to bathe, some of which living in a smoking home, unfortunately. It's disgusting. Once they started bathing, all that stuff eventually washes off. Usually doesn't take long, and they look, feel, and SMELL sooooo much better. Not to say there isn't something more sinister going on, that's what the vet is there to diagnose, but it's the best and least invasive way to start.

BTW, thank you for rescuing. I totally understand the attraction of a new baby bird, but my heart lies with the rescues. Except for the couple budgies I had as a kid, all of mine have been rescue/rehomes. They're so worth it, and they deserve a chance at a loving forever home.